This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art. Vehicles are known to incorporate a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system to improve the comfort of the people within the passenger compartment of the vehicle. The HVAC system heats and cools air blown through the HVAC system using a heating heat exchanger and/or a cooling heat exchanger. The heating heat exchanger typically utilizes the engine coolant as a source of heat for heating the air. The cooling heat exchanger is typically an evaporator which is part of an air conditioning system in the vehicle.
The air blown through the HVAC system is drawn in via a blower fan which is typically positioned with a HVAC housing. The blower fan draws in air from outside the vehicle. The air then flows through the HVAC system where it is conditioned (heated/cooled), and then directed into the passenger compartment of the vehicle through one or more outlet vents.
One disadvantage of a typical HVAC system is the packaging size required for the HVAC housing. More particularly, the HVAC system is typically positioned behind a dashboard of the vehicle to access the outlet vents within the passenger compartment. Such a location is typically congested with various other devices and systems, and leaves little space for the HVAC system.